Braille scale A10 Mk 1A Cruiser Tank

[SimonL]

It’s a balmy 42 degrees Celsius today in Perth, WA. Far too hot to work on my Saladin, so I thought I would take a look at a new purchase. It’s the IBG Models 1:72 kit of A10 Mk 1A Cruiser tank.
 

 

Strictly it’s a little magazine with a “free kit”. The magazine is a brief overview of the history and operational use of the tank, by Peter Brown. A review can be found here: http://www.missing-lynx.com/reviews/small/ibgw013reviewpb_1.html

 

It looked like a fine prospect for a simple build, so when I found it online at a Melbourne hobby shop, I had to have it.

 

So what’s in the box? 

It has the desert modifications as well as a plain vanilla tank. A few close ups of the sprues to show the level of detail, which is rather nice. Includes a hollow end to the main armament.

 

 

 

The one piece tracks are a rather simplified, but I suspect a better modeller than I could do something with them. I’ll just go for a straightforward build though.

 

Three sets of markings are provided for tanks in Greece. I’m going to go with this one:

 

It doesn’t give any unit details, so I will need to do a bit of research. It also doesn’t give an overhead view, which is a bit awkward.
 

update: ok, looks like that set of markings is fictional. Instead I will do this one:

 

 

The colours given are base colour of Portland Stone with the dark pattern in Light Purple Brown, which I imagine is going to look quite striking. I picked up some Vallejo Model Air Portland Stone (it says it can be brushed - so this is a bit of an experiment). For the Light Purple Brown I will use the Mike Starmer Tamiya recipe from the MAFVA website. 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2022 by SimonL
Update with new markings

[f matthews]

The circle should be red, not blue, but here is the info from the Bronco 1/35 kit.

 

[SimonL]

Blue markings? Oh hell. Not much I can do about that.  Meanwhile I’ve started on the kit while the paint was drying on the Saladin. Fairly typical IBG - lots of small parts and softish plastic. Only one issue was that the aerial for the back of the turret appears to have a bit “missing” (short shot maybe?). You can just see that in the photo of the sprue. So I sort of bodged it for the time being. A power outage drew proceedings to a rapid end.

 

[f matthews]

6 hours ago, SimonL said:

Blue markings? Oh hell. Not much I can do about that.  Meanwhile I’ve started on the kit while the paint was drying on the Saladin. Fairly typical IBG - lots of small parts and softish plastic. Only one issue was that the aerial for the back of the turret appears to have a bit “missing” (short shot maybe?). You can just see that in the photo of the sprue. So I sort of bodged it for the time being. A power outage drew proceedings to a rapid end.

 

No-the circle should be red, not blue like in the Bronco instructions. I posted that so you have the unit info, etc better.  They got the squadron symbol (the circle for “C” Squadron) wrong.

[SimonL]

12 minutes ago, f matthews said:

No-the circle should be red, not blue like in the Bronco instructions. I posted that so you have the unit info, etc better.  They got the squadron symbol (the circle for “C” Squadron) wrong.

Serves me right for not reading it carefully 🤣 in my defence I hadn’t had my coffee yet. Many thanks. Very much appreciated.

[SimonL]

Made a little progress today getting the suspension sorted.  Just a couple of parts for each bogie.

 

 

Here they are glued into place, along with the wheels and tracks, which other than the prominent drive wheel came as single parts.

 

 

The top part of the tank was pretty much a snap fit to the lower part of the hull. As is my usual habit I blutacked some fishing weights into the bottom of the hull to give the model a bit of heft.

 

Here it is with just a dry fit of the tracks.

 

 

And here it is with the turret.

 

[Courageous]

Not looking bad at all.

 

Stuart

[SimonL]

Thanks Stuart!

 

Main construction is now done. The exhaust muffler doesn’t have any grill pattern on it, so I superglued some mesh cloth I had hanging around to give the impression of it. I’m going to leave the tracks and skirts off while painting, as I think that will make it a bit easier. I noticed a bit of a dent in the external fuel tank, but not too fussed as I think it will look fairly natural.

 

 

A quick dry fit, and while there is a bit of cleaning up to do, it’s pretty much ready for paint.

 

[sardaukar]

Nice looking build, I've built the a9 but can't bring myself to attempt a caunter scheme on it yet, so it sits on the shelf of doom.

[SimonL]

22 hours ago, sardaukar said:

Nice looking build, I've built the a9 but can't bring myself to attempt a caunter scheme on it yet, so it sits on the shelf of doom.

That’s a shame. Ever the sucker for punishment I picked this up recently

 

 

But it does come with markings for one in overall Light Stone:

 

 

Would that be an option for you?

 

Today I was brush painting the base coat using Vallejo Model Air 71.288 Portland Light Stone. This paint is intended for air brushes, but does claim you can brush paint with it. I was a bit dubious about it at first, but actually just a couple of coats and it’s come up really well. No thinning required, just straight from the bottle. Nice smooth surface. I may have found my alternative to Tamiya Acrylics (which are currently in short supply). Wait and see how they deal with the next step of masking for the disruptive pattern. At least it’s only one colour!

 

 

 

 

[SimonL]

Worked on painting the tracks and wheels today. The tyres were painted with Vallejo Dark Rubber, the tracks with Tamiya Dark Iron filled by a dry brush with Italeri Acryl Dark Gull Grey. Needs a few bits of touching up, but shouldn’t look too bad under some weathering. I also painted the exhaust with MiG AMMO Old Rust.

 

The base coat on the other parts was given a coat of floor polish in advance of the next stage - some masking for the disruptive pattern.

 

[SimonL]

So bit warm today, so focussed on weathering the tracks, wheels and underside of the hull using various mixtures if Army Painter Washes follows by Vallejo washes.

Then glued the tracks on:

 

 

Followed by the skirts (which needed a bit of wriggle to get in place).
 

[Bullbasket]

Progressing very well Simon. Nice work.

 

John.

[Courageous]

Your painting and weathering of wheels and suspension units look great. Good work.

 

Stuart 

[SimonL]

14 hours ago, Bullbasket said:

Progressing very well Simon. Nice work.

 

John.

Thanks!

 

2 hours ago, Courageous said:

Your painting and weathering of wheels and suspension units look great. Good work.

 

Stuart 

Thanks! Not quite done yet, but happy with the way it’s progressing.

 

Challenge will be today though - painting the disruptive pattern.

[SimonL]

Blocked in the disruptive pattern. I followed the Mike Starmer Tamiya mix for the purple-brown. Really tricky paint job, with a combination of attempted masking and some freehand. Still some touch ups to do, and close-up the photos are a tad cruel. Pattern as provided with the kit was very awkward to follow, so it would be fair to say this is only a representation of the camouflage.

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

You are making this rather well I think. The tracks looked awful in bare plastic but once painted, you don't notice the filled in centres at all. Well done.

[echen]

On 2/20/2022 at 8:45 AM, SimonL said:

so it would be fair to say this is only a representation of the camouflage.

 

Artistic licence, mate - artistic licence!

[SimonL]

On 2/20/2022 at 7:27 PM, Bertie Psmith said:

You are making this rather well I think. The tracks looked awful in bare plastic but once painted, you don't notice the filled in centres at all. Well done.

Thanks - yes I’m pleased with how they have turned out.

 

1 hour ago, echen said:

Artistic licence, mate - artistic licence!

I’ll take that 🙂

[SimonL]

Managed to get some time today to almost get this finished.

 

First the decals went on over a coat of floor polish, and then I sorted some detail painting (such that there is - tools and the like) and a few touch ups. The extra fuel tank, exhaust assembly and spare water tanks were attached with CA glue and construction was done.

 

 

Looks far too clean though, so first a wash of a mix of Army Painter Soft and Dark Tone:

 

 

Once dry this was followed by a wash of Vallejo Model Wash (Desert Dust).

 

 

 

 

Definitely not clean now - hope I haven’t overdone it. Perhaps some dry brushing to finish followed by a matt coat and I will be done. 

Edited February 27, 2022 by SimonL

[Milan Mynar]

Nice quick building.

[SimonL]

On 2/27/2022 at 5:28 PM, Milan Mynar said:

Nice quick building.

Thanks Milan. Actually took me a little longer than expected - just been a little busy.

 

So last bits done today. Some light dry brushing with oils and a final matt coat using Vallejo Matt Varnish. The aerial is a bit of a trimmed cat whisker dropped by one of three cats. More photos tomorrow in RFI out in the sunshine of the front yard.

 

 

 

[TISO]

Sweet. Nicely built little thing.

 

BTW there are few add ons for this kit:

- Syndikate.co from Poland produces in 3D print :

         - tracks & wheels set (they also produce separate set for A9) 

         - periscopes for UK tanks

- Master produces brass set of gun barrels (both 40mm and BESA)

 

[Mike Starmer]

These kits are OK but the colour instructions are, frankly. rubbish.  You are provided with one accurate drawing based on one photograph whilst the rest of the pattern is pure fantasy.  In some cases all fantasy.  This  scheme is intended to represent the modified Caunter pattern as used by 3 RTR in Greece, 1941 and 5 RTR in Egypt as the same time.  World at War have simply done little research or copied other's errors.  History bit first. The intention was to send 2nd Arm. Div. to the Sudan.  At Egyptian base workshops they were being repaint for that region.   Captain Robert Crisp who commanded 'Cool' in Greece, says in his autobiography, that their tanks were painted 'yellow and red, so we knew we were destined for Sudan'.  Note, yellow which was the colloquial name for Light Stone No.61.  However, with Rommel's first attack in Libya, the changed war situation required a re-evaluation of deployments.  All the A13 tanks were concentrated in 5 RTR to remain in Egypt.  A10 tanks went to 3 RTR now required in Greece.  Crisp records that the tank were now repainted again now in yellow and green, they went to Greece in those colours.  As yet the 'green' to which he refers has not been identified since none of the Middle East orders refer to any sort of green being in use at the time.   But two colours known to have been in us then were Slate No.34 and Silver Grey No.28.  Both of these were used in the tri-coloured Caunter patterns.   Slate is green with a greyish tinge whilst Silver Grey is definitely a pale washed out looking green.    All of numerous images I have of the 3 RTR A10s and most of 5 RTR A13s show a low contrast disruptive pattern which the use of Light Purple Brown No.49 does not create.   The use of Slate does have a high contrast too,   I am of the opinion with reservations, that Silver Grey was the most likely colour to have been used.  Three models painted in the correct pattern with all of these colours as a trial seems to prove this.  None of the patterns in the kit instructions of rear deck are correct.  I cannot post the pattern here, I know not how, but if a member would like a copy, then they may buy my book on Caunter Scheme or request just that pattern.  The book has copies of the relevant painting regulations and eight diagrams for the classes of AFV and vehicles in use in 1940, notes on markings and the Sudan pattern and painted colour swatches matched to the contemporary colour standard of 1930.  I may be contacted at  mikestarmer18 at gmail dot com  

[SimonL]

Thanks @TISO. 
 

Thanks for the great history lesson @Mike Starmer, such a shame 😔. I’ll be in touch via email shortly. May be I can make amends as I see there is a Bronco kit of the A10 in the local

hobby shop (the Balkan edition which I believe has the desert modifications).

 

Update: just popped into Fremantle for a coffee with my daughter, and look what I found in the second hand bookshop!

 

 

It’s a personal account of his experiences during Operation Crusader (so starts with him just arriving back in Egypt after the debacle in Greece). Not sure why it has a German tank on the front…

Edited March 6, 2022 by SimonL